Dried Oyster MushroomsDrying Time, Storage and How to Use Them

Oyster mushrooms (hiratake) have large, flat gray caps and fairly long white stems. They keep a nice texture even when cooked.

Their taste and aroma are mild, so they fit Japanese and Western dishes alike: sautés, simmered dishes, mixed rice. Drying concentrates their flavor, and drying them in the sun also increases their vitamin D.

	Drying time	Storage
Dry	2–3 days	3 weeks at room temperature

Drying times assume drying during the day in sunny weather and bringing them in at night.

How to dry oyster mushrooms

1. Wipe clean: Don’t wash them; wipe off any dirt with a paper towel.
2. Separate: Break the clump into individual mushrooms and trim off the hard tip of the base.
3. Lay out and dry: Lay them on a basket gills up, without overlapping. Put them somewhere sunny and breezy, and bring them in by evening.

Where and when to dry is covered in How to Dry Vegetables, and tools in Tools for Drying Vegetables.

When they’re done

Dry (2–3 days)

They’re done when the caps have curled and darkened, and they snap when bent. The thick base of the stem dries last, so check there.

Day by day

Before drying

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Storage

• Dry: Put completely dry mushrooms in a bag or airtight container with a desiccant, and keep somewhere cool and out of direct sun for about 3 weeks. In humid summer weather, keep them in the fridge.
• Frozen: Frozen, they keep 2–3 months.

Fuzzy white or green growth, black spots or a bad smell are signs of mold or spoilage. Don’t eat them; throw them away. More in How to Store Dried Vegetables.

Rehydrating and using them

• Always cook them: Never eat mushrooms raw. Always cook them first.
• Rehydrate: Rinse quickly and soak in water for about 10 minutes. Use the soaking water in your cooking too.
• Use them dry: Add straight to miso soup, soups, hot pot and mixed rice.
• Good in: Sautéed with butter and soy sauce, cream stews, mixed rice, tempura, sukiyaki.